The McFarlane Warhammer 40k line in partnership with Games Workshop launched in 2020 with each wave made up of both fully painted 7-inch figures and unpainted 'artist proofs' which allow collectors to paint the figures as they would with the 25mm miniatures on which the figures are based.
Despite it fitting into the McFarlane ethos of multiple variants and repaints, the output of the line has been relatively slow at the moment and it has taken until the Summer of 2021 for the second wave to make an appearance and add a new character to the line with the Adpeta Sororitas Battle Sister joining the line alongside the existing Space Marine and Necron figures.
The packaging for wave 2 is the same as wave one and in line with most of the current McFarlane offerings. The large window shows off the figure and accessories, with the WH40k logo underneath. The character is not actually named on the box front, but rather on the side with an image of the figure itself. The opposite side is a cut into the window and designed around the organic and steampunk styling of the Warhammer 40k universe.
The back of the box serves simply as a checklist of other releases in the wave - the Blood Angels Marine Hellblaster and the unpainted artist's proofs of both figures. There is a missed opportunity here for some background or synopsis of the Adepta Sororitas and allow more casual fans (such as I) of WH40k to pick up some supporting information and history.
The box allows the figure and inner tray to be removed without any damage to the box, although McFarlane are continuing to attach the black circular stand to the backing card, and the only way to remove it is to tear it off - so much for 100% collector packaging and the option to repack your figure if you wish.
In hand, the Battle Sister is glorious in terms of the proportions and overall sculpt, significantly more detailed than the Space Marine we had in wave 1. There is a sweeping helmet with white faceplate and red eyes, and then a pair of oversized shoulder pauldrons each decorated - one with a fleur de Lys, the other with the winged symbol of the Imperium.
The tubing of the armour then runs into another icon piece with a golden skull around which is wrapped another fleur de Lys, this time as a pendant.
The black armour includes plenty more subtle symbols, particularly on the chest and midsection and down to the detail around her belt and the knee pads and lower leg armour. A rubber PVC skirt section hangs front and back from her belt and this is textured in a red base plastic with further patterning front and back,
With all this intricate detail, the main criticism of the figure is that not enough paint has been applied. The body is cast in black armour and over this, we have red, white and gold with a touch of silver for the tubing and brown around the belt. There are rafts of other detail that would have looked exceptional picked out with shading and dry-brushing - even if it was the rivets of the armour or the grenades on her belt. The paint we do get is predominantly neatly applied, although white onto a black base is problematic in most cases and you can see some of that in the knees and shoulder iconography.
I guess a price point was being worked too here in terms of how much paint could be applied at the factory and to what detail, and like the Artist's Proof, there is no reason why collectors could not take up a paint brush to further enhance the basics we've been given straight out of the box.
The Battle Sister is certainly ready for battle with her accessories. She is packed with a chainsword and a bolter, neither of which are re-uses from the Space Marine and both include the Fleur de Lys design of the Adepta Sororitas. These are both big chunky weapons, exactly as we'd see them on the miniatures and both feature the same basic paint apps with black for the grip of the sword and bronze on the ammunition of the bolter - again there is loads of scope to enhance these if you have the painting skills.
Unlike the Space Marine, the backpack for the Battle Sister is not removable and is securely glued into place.
Articulation is certainly something McFarlane have worked hard on in recent years, with a lot of lessons learned from their Fortnite line that is now being applied here. The Battle Sister has 16 points of articulation in total and this includes double joints for both knees and elbows - although oddly then without a bicep or thigh swivel to help rotate the leg/arm when posing?
All the joints work well enough and considering this is another WH40k bulky armoured character, the joints do what they need to for posing with the sword or bolter, or both. There are some balance issues with the figure, this is not due to the ankle rockers which are tough and ratcheted, but from the toe articulation that McFarlane have added which is quite loose and can see the figure tip forward.
I must admit that my own knowledge of the Sisters of Battle was limited ahead of the release of the figure, and my overall WH40k knowledge was some 20 years or so out of date. Despite my lack of knowledge or investment in the figure (something I did have with the Space Marines), the design of the McFarlane figure had me put it on pre-order, and now in hand, I am certainly not disappointed and must say I am now heavily invested in the line as a whole assuming I can keep up with the variants, exclusives, and chase figures - and assuming McFarlane can keep it fresh with a sensible mix of repacks and new characters like the Genestealers, Orks, and the forces of Chaos.
For circa £20 you get a heavy 7-inch figure with exceptional sculpted detail and sufficient paintwork application (with scope for more if you want to customise). There are two hefty accessories and a good level of articulation. Well done McFarlane!
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About Me : As a child of the 70's and 80's I grew up in a golden age for action figures and in my youth bought and sold myself through collections of Star Wars, G.I. Joe (Action Force) and M.A.S.K. while also dabbling in He-Man, Transformers and Ghostbusters. Roll forward and I am now reliving that Youth with the action figures of today and am a collector and fan of the larger 6-8 inch figures from my favourite movie and TV licences - including the ones mentioned above, but also the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Doctor Who and the Aliens. I launched The Mephitsu Archives in 2015 with a view of creating a UK focused site or these figures where fans can pick up the latest action figure news, read reviews and get information on where to buy their figures and what is currently on store shelves. I hope I am delivering that to you guys...
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